Delays affect Tobago pupils in netball finals

THE finals of the National Primary Schools Netball Championships had to be delayed for more than an hour yesterday because of the late arrival of two teams from Tobago.

The teams arrived late due to the industrial action taken by Caribbean Airlines pilots. The finals took place at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena in Pleasantville.

President of the Primary Schools Netball League Lenore Melville, who travelled with the Tobago teams, said two flights from Tobago to Trinidad were delayed. She said the scheduled flight at 7.10 a.m. was pushed back to 9.05 a.m. and the scheduled 6.40 a.m. flight did not take place till after 7 a.m.

She said however the group of 30 travellers, most­ly children, were not too overwhelmed by the delay.

Melville said: “Most of our players just graduated so the children spent the time in childlike banter

with their friends. They did not take

it on as much as us adults.”

At around 10 a.m. yesterday, Melville said she was told all flights out of Trinidad to Tobago were cancelled after noon.

The group was expec­ted to leave

Trinidad at 8.45 p.m. yesterday.

Up to press time last night, Melville said she hoped the group would have been able to get their flight as they were not prepared to overnight.

All flights up to midnight were listed on the airport information display as cancelled.

However, they were given a reason to celebrate as one of the teams, the St Patrick’s Anglican Primary School from Mt Pleasant, Tobago, placed third in the schools’ district team category.

How the teams placed

Placing first was Las Lomas Government Primary and second was Ari­ma Centenary Govern­ment Primary.

In the combined district team division which consisted of a team of players from various primary schools, the St George East Educational District became the champions. They were followed by the Caroni and South-Eastern